MIKE
by tistrust
Summary: Emotionally, physically, spiritually…There is something wrong with Mike...okay...so maybe the story is not about Mike but he is in it.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've named this story after my friend. He's kinda odd. And I think he'll show up later on in anther story. I really don't want to continue my other story _Advoding Dark Allies_ and I just realized that I spelled it wrong...but it doesn't matter! So here is another one…

Title: The Amazingly Amazing, Awesomely Awesome, Fantastically Fantastic, Coolly Cool, Mike

---

Pain is life. Life is pain. It works both ways.

Emotional pain and physical pain are different. Physical wounds scab and heal. Emotional injuries burn and stab at the heart.

They are different, but they hurt.

---

Phileas Fogg considered himself to be a physical man. He does not like deep things. He liked things to simple.

Phileas has had his share of emotional pain; he had so much of it that he probably filled his quota for his whole life and a few more.

It was just easier for him to deal with physical pain. There was nothing to admit in it. It is as it is and there are few ways people can hide it.

What he was experiencing right now was not physical pain. It was the kind of pain that wrenched at his heart, making him weak and powerless. It was the kind of pain that will never leave his mind and will blaze itself into his heart.

He hated being helpless. Emotional pain.

Phileas should be use to it by now. Every time Rebecca goes out on a mission he feels that kind of helplessness. But now the helplessness was stronger and it was not only emotional now, it was physical. This, in the end makes the emotional pain worse because, physically, he could not help.

Phileas stood still, just like they told him to. He was being physically restrained by two men who could have ripped him in half, but for right now they seemed content to hold him in a firm grip.

_If you even look the wrong way her blood will spill._

Phileas believed they would make good on their threat. It was not Rebecca that they were after. Hell, it wasn't even him that they were after. They were here for one reason only and for that same reason they were still alive.

---

Two men stood to the sides of the door. As he approached they stiffened and demanded to know what he was doing there.

"Jules Verne" he simply stated.

One of the men went inside and a moment later he came back out and motioned for Jules to follow.

---

Phileas had not seen Rebecca and Passepartout since they were taken, and his heart filled with relief when he saw them. He was glad that they were all right, at least physically.

When Verne walked through the door, _willingly_, Phileas knew everything. He cursed himself for being used as bait.

Verne stood in the middle of the room, waiting. He had a satchel slung over his shoulder, it looked full to bursting.

He felt a growing unease in the pit of his stomach.

---

Rebecca Fogg watched as Jules walked into the room, freely following the men who brought them here.

Now she knew. Before the men would not speak to them, no matter what happened. She tried spitting at them, yelling at them, and then even seducing. Of the three she could see that the last choice worked the best, however they did nothing, only gave her a pining stare before quickly turning away.

The men were using them as a bargaining chip. She would have never thought they would have done this, only because the men took her by surprise on a routine mission. And that mission had nothing to do with Jules so naturally Rebecca had assumed that she was captured because of England. With her as captive they had then captured Phileas and Passepartout.

They were very through and they left nothing out of the equation. The only reason that Phileas had gotten captured was because of her.

---

Passepartout watched as his countryman came in. Realization stuck him cold and he could not for the life of him move.

Another man entered and made his way towards his young friend. Jules stood still, even when the man lightly touched Jules's forehead, brushing back a stray lock of hair.

They spoke quietly but the room was dead silent so Passepartout could hear them.

"I am Duke Ezekiel Connor, at your service Jules Verne."

"Do what you will just let them go."

"I have been thinking about our exchange, Jules, and I have come to the realization that you have only one life to give. So it is only worth another life. Pick one of your _friends_, Jules, and that one will be free."

"That was not the deal."

"If I remember correctly, we never discussed any of the details."

"But you had said _friends_, therefore it is plural. More than one!"

The duke thought this over, "Fine, since you also have that bag of yours, I suppose that can count as another one of your _friends_."

"Spare me your sarcasm, Duke."

"Pick two, and they will leave."

Jules floundered.

Passepartout had to speak up. "Let my master and Miss Rebecca go, Jules. I can stay."

Pain flared from a spot on Passepartout's head running down his spine and into his soul. Blackness consumed him.

---

"That was uncalled for!" Jules yelled. Passepartout had gone completely limp in the guards' hands.

"They had been warned." The duke replied.

Jules let out a frustrated groan, running his hands through his hair; he knew Passepartout must leave. He had been hurt.

Rebecca should go with Passepartout.

Fogg would kill him if he chose him over his cousin. Rebecca would do the same, but it was different with Rebecca.

"Passepartout and Rebecca" Jules said.

Two other guards came up behind Jules but they made no motion to restrain Jules.

The guards started to drag Passepartout out but Rebecca suddenly kicked out when they began to lead her. Rebecca fell to the floor with the guard and snatched his knife before he could react; she quickly cut his throat as the other guard grabbed her from behind. Rebecca slammed her head back into the guard's neck. Using her free hand to turn herself around she stab the other in the stomach.

At the same time Fogg threw himself to the ground taking both the guards with him. He jumped up and kicked one of them in the head, knocking him out, before diving onto the other one. Fogg wrestled the guard's knife out of his holder and stabbed his chest.

Simultaneously, the guards that stood at Jules's side grabbed him. Jules threw himself backwards. But the guards held firm. Jules continued to struggle. Another guard came up behind Jules, he pulled Jules's head back by his hair and with a dagger to Jules's throat ordered him to be still.

Rebecca and Fogg stood up from their battles and the duke began to laugh. "We have what we want. You can leave if you so desire. Guards!" At once the guards that still held Passepartout dropped him like dead weight and they returned the duke's side, making their defense stronger around Jules.

Jules could see that Rebecca and Fogg were not about to leave.

The duke held up a pistol and aimed it at Rebecca. "Leave."

A long, suspended moment passed. Fogg and Rebecca stared at the scene before them, each of them reflecting on what may happen. A thousand possibilities ran through their minds. A million outcomes that might happen but Rebecca and Fogg could see that there was no way to get themselves and Jules out alive.

"Rebecca, Fogg, please." Jules broke the silence; he prayed that they would listen to his plea.

Hesitantly and slowly, Rebecca and Fogg eased Passepartout up. With Passepartout between the cousins they exited the room.

"I was afraid that we would never be alone." The duke said dramatically, "Bring him."

---

Phileas, Rebecca, and Passepartout waited outside the building. They could not leave Jules here.

A coach approached the building and four people entered the coach, one of them forcefully.

They had way to follow them. Phileas, Rebecca, and Passepartout watched the coach travel out of sight, only knowing that they were headed north.

They started following, unsure of what else to do.

Luckily they came across a town not a mile away from the building and Phileas bought a coach and the fastest horses he could find. While Rebecca gathered any supplies they needed and Passepartout got his head checked out.

"Phileas, they could have stopped here in this town. We should check around just in case they have him here." Rebecca explained to her cousin as they were loading their supplies.

Phileas nodded, "Passepartout, make sure that all of this," Phileas motioned towards their supplies, "will get safely on the coach."

Passepartout began the loading again as Phileas and Rebecca spoke a few words. They nodded at each other and made their own separate ways.


	2. Chapter 2

Scene rewritten

---

The ride was too short. And not just because Jules did not want the ride to stop but because he was sure that they had not traveled for more than a mile before they came to house on the edge of a town.

One of the guards got out of the coach first. He helped the duke out before both the guards brought him out.

Jules moved calmly and let the guards think that he was submissive. Once he was on the ground Jules wrenched himself out of the guard's lax hold and tackled the duke to the ground.

Jules was not restrained at the moment so he had a good hold on the duke the only problem was that Jules was also out numbered and he was not fast enough to get away.

The guards roughly pulled Jules off of the duke.

The duke motioned towards the back of the house before going into the house.

The guards brought Jules to the back yard.

"You'll pay for that Jules." One of the guards hissed to him. "I'm Mike and this is Thomas by the way."

Jules stared at him.

Then they went back to their reticent selves and threw Jules down the cellar stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

---

Ezekiel Connor changed into more comfortable clothes and had an early supper.

All Connor had to do was to keep Verne until the Count got back.

However, that did not mean he should not have a little fun.

---

Jules was crumpled at the bottom of the stairs. A shooting pain flashed across his back and he tried not to move but he wanted to find a way to rest comfortably. There wasn't, Jules flipped onto his back and arched, and that worked, just until he got tired in that position and finally had to slowly return to his side where another jolt of pain shot across his back. He withered and was still and until most of it had subsided.

Jules slowly sat up. The afternoon sun shone through a small window

The room could not be bigger than his flat, but it was pretty empty, nothing to use as a weapon and nothing to hide behind, all there really was, was a narrow cot without any covers and a wooden chair.

Using the stairs as support, Jules lifted himself up and began walking with the walls. He tested the window to see if it would open, and it did. The only problem, other than it being only big enough for a ten year old to climb through was that it was a bit high to climb out of without some sort of help.

He was too tired for this.

The last two days had worn him out and now, he had no idea what to do.

---

"Jules, I would like you to explain these drawings to us." The duke said as he pulled out a few of his sketches from his satchel that Tom held.

Jules was lying down on the cot; he had not even bothered to look up.

"Really now, Jules it would be so much easier if you corporate."

Jules threw the duke a look of complete disgust.

"There is no need for faces, Jules." the duke said.

Jules refused to answer all the questions that were asked. For his efforts the duke gave him a bloody nose and a split lip as well as a pounding head ache.

The duke went to the back of the room and pulled out a key from his pocket.

He unlocked the door and motioned Tom and Mike to bring Jules.

---

Phileas had gotten an answer from the townspeople. This was a small town and there were few people that ever used coaches. Apparently there was a coach that had past through town and was now in the northern edge of the town.

Phileas and Rebecca headed towards the north end of town while Phileas sent Passepartout to go get the Aurora from the English Embassy in France.

---

Pain racked his body, he could not control his thoughts, he wasn't even sure if they were his own thoughts anymore. All he wanted was for it to stop. But he kept fighting. Why was he fighting? He was sure that if he stopped resisting that it would be so much easier.

His body convulsed with pain. The metal binding him to the chair cut deeper into his wrists.

He desperately wanted to stop fighting but something deeper would not let him. He held on. Hoping that whatever was inside him was right. He fought.

He screamed, draining his lungs of all oxygen, and passed out, letting the blackness take the pain.

---

The north end of town was small but Phileas still had to search.

They found only three houses in the northern end of town and Phileas rode to check out the furthest house as Rebecca went to the closest. They would meet up at the middle house if they found nothing where they were.

If the other does not make it to the middle house the cousin in question must head for the first or last house.

---

The duke sighed; he was hoping that the boy would last just a little longer.

"Make sure he won't get out." The duke ordered and walked out of the cellar and into the house.

Count Gregory was going to be in Paris in two days. The town they were in was less than a day's journey.

Connor only had to make sure that Jules did not escape between now and then.

---

Nothing here.

Maybe that was a good thing. But that also meant that she would not know how Jules was.

Why do things have to go both ways?

Rebecca returned to her horse and rode off to check the second house.


	4. Chapter 4

Scene rewritten

---

Mike was watching Jules.

Tom was with the duke, catering to his every need. Not that Mike minded. It is much easier to watch a sleeping kid than following the duke around, although he would prefer it.

Mike thought back to the little session that they had with Jules. He had no trouble watching Jules go through pain. In fact he enjoyed it; Jules's insolence was starting to get on his last nerves.

Mike got up and went to the cabinet in the back of the room. He dug around, picked a bottle at random, and came back to Jules.

The duke did tell him to make sure that Jules wouldn't escape and Mike wanted Jules to pay for his disrespect.

Mike opened the bottle. The duke had given him this job and saved Mike from bankruptcy. The duke had given him everything, if it were not for the duke Mike would be in prison by now.

Mike took Jules's chin into his hand. He gently opened Jules's mouth. He poured a bit of the liquid into the kid's mouth. He still couldn't find the _right_ answer. He wanted Jules to pay but he also enjoyed this. What was that called being a sadistic son of a bitch… yeah it must have been somewhere around there. Mike put in a bit more.

The kid moaned, but swallowed the liquid, the bottle was still at Jules's mouth and Mike silently debated whether or not to pour more.

"Mike! Connor wants to talk to us!"

Mike's arm jolted and the bottle emptied. The liquid spilled into Jules's mouth, overflowed and ran down his cheeks.

Mike cursed and wondered if he should care.

Mike reached over and turned the boy's face to the side. The liquid that had not made it down his throat dribbled out.

Mike sighed, capped the bottle and went upstairs to follow Thomas.


	5. Chapter 5

Phileas had ridden past the house for a cursory check on the house. He quickly accessed the house.

The coach that they had seen was in the back. It was hidden behind some bushes but Phileas saw a glint of metal.

Phileas tied the horse to a tree not far from the house and made his way to the back of the house.

He got there just in time to see a man exit from the cellar and follow a second man into the house.

---

Rebecca had reached the second house but she did not see Phileas any where.

This only meant that Phileas had found what they were looking for and Rebecca wasted no time in heading off for the third house.

Suddenly the sun disappeared behind a huge cloud. The openness around her let her see the extent of the shadow. The shadow did not look like much of a cloud.

Rebecca looked up, seeing exactly what she was expecting.

---

The sun was beginning to set, a pink glow enveloped the outside world as Phileas ran, half crouched and hiding behind anything he could find.

The cellar door was left open and Phileas simply walked down it, his pistol drawn just in case.

Phileas evaluated the room with a professional air. The room was small and empty of the person he was looking for and as in a general sense.

There was a door that led to another room and Phileas wasted no time to check it out.

Phileas stood to the side of the door frame. He held his pistol aimed at the ceiling. Taking the standard stance, he cautiously entered the room.

He entered the room in a crouch and methodically took in any threats but the only thing in the room was a crumpled figure on the floor.

---

Rebecca and Passepartout flew as high as they could, without going too high that they could not reach the ground in time to help, if need be.

The sun was getting low, orange pink rays of light surrounded the Aurora, if they had been in a different situation this would have been beautiful, perfect.

But no, things have to go wrong. Just like they always do.

Rebecca told Passepartout to fly around the house and to park in the back.

---

Mike followed Thomas into the house. He grabbed an apple from the kitchen table and caught up with Tom.

He felt like he was forgetting something, something important. Really important, the feeling kept nagging at him.

Mike's mind retraced his steps, trying to find the thing his gut told him. The kid was waking up. He went up the stairs of the cellar and then went into the house. Then he had gotten an apple…HE FORGOT TO CLOSE THE DOOR.

Mike shrugged, less important than he thought. Jules was not getting anywhere.

He finished the apple, _must have been hungry_ he mused.

Mike took a quick look around and spotted a plotted plant off to the side of the hallway next to a window.

Mike didn't know much about windows but he was sure that this one must have been worth his year's salary, with him never taking a break.

He tossed the apple core into the pot and glanced through the window while wiping his hand on his trousers.

"Thomas, look at that." Mike said, pointing out the window towards a ship.

---

Rebecca and Passepartout made their way behind the house after seeing Phileas's horse tied to a tree.

They walked towards the house.

Rebecca silently motioned for Passepartout to go thorough the front entrance while she took the back.

She stepped up the stairs silently and slipped into the unlocked kitchen door. There was movement upstairs. She could hear it. She hoped that they would all be in one place so that she can take them all out at once.

The kitchen led into a hallway which served as the route to the rest of the house. The front door was visible and Rebecca could see the handle turn, however the door had a screen and Rebecca saw no one there.

She darted behind an alcove and stood still waiting for Passepartout to enter so that she could be sure it was him and not some terrible guy that was guarding the place.

---

Passepartout entered through the front door and silently rejoiced that no one noticed him. The hallway looked deserted and Passepartout could hear movement from upstairs.

Voices and footsteps, none of the them urgent and none of them threatening.

That relaxed Passepartout somewhat. They did not know that neither he nor Miss Rebecca had entered.

Passepartout saw a slight movement in the hallway. He was sure that he could hear the swiftness of a dress, and he clamed.

"Hurry" Passepartout mouthed.

---

"Duke, they have entered the house." Thomas reported.

"Well, do I have to order you to go get them or shall I just go fight them off myself?"

Mike inwardly groaned and tapped Thomas on the shoulder, "Don't be an idiot, Tommy."

Mike led the way out of the Duke's room and into the hallway.

"Hey, remember that move we made back in Morocco?" Mike asked as they leisurely walked.

"Yeah, that was awesome." Thomas replied, smiling in spite of himself.

"Let's do that again!"

---

Jules was breathing was labored. He drew in deep breaths that seemed to cut short and he gasped. His brow was covered in sweat and there was a sticky glaze that smeared his cheeks.

Phileas frowned, but at least he found him. Phileas holstered his pistol and quickly rushed to Jules's side.

Phileas smoothed back the lush brown curls and Jules moaned.

"Jules," Phileas whispered, although he could not figure out why, "Jules wake up. We need to go."

Jules did not respond. Phileas carefully placed his hand on Jules's neck. He felt an erratic rapid beat that scared him. Phileas drew his hand away, noticing the stickiness but ignoring it.

Phileas turned Jules to face him. He then methodically checked Jules over for any physical injuries. He took in the bloody nose and split lip. The sunken eyes and he remembered that he could look no better.

Phileas picked Jules up with his deceiving strength.

---

Rebecca and Passepartout entered the second story hallway with caution.

Rebecca was not sure what they were looking for but she knew that Phileas and Jules were here some where.

A man then suddenly came out of the door and fell to the floor.

He saw them and drunkenly laughed.

Rebecca was confused but she was sure that she needed to silence the idiot before he gave their position away.

The man stood up unsteadily and giggling he began to turn around.

Rebecca could not have that. She grabbed him by his shoulder but before she could make another move his hand appeared on top of hers and deftly pulled her toward him.

Rebecca saw a flicker of movement off to the side but quickly began to concentrate on her opponent. The man pushed her against the wall and smiled.

"You're a pretty one." He whispered quietly.

He pulled his fist back to deliver a crushing blow, but Rebecca had slipped from his grasp and his fist hit the wall.

Rebecca wrenched him from the wall and slammed him into it. She heaved him back and smashed him into the wall once more before he fell limply onto the ground.

---

While Thomas had taken the woman with the bright red hair, Mike was supposed to take care of the Frenchman.

"O, thank God you are here, sir." Mike recited from memory with the perfect amount of emotion and pause, "I was afraid that…he might have…"

Mike looked dejectedly at the floor, but the Frenchman did not attack. This was a good sign.

"He…al all most…he…" Mike stuttered.

Mike hugged himself and sank down following the wall to the floor.

Mike knew that his appearance was perfect. His messed up hair and rumpled clothes.

He pulled himself into a ball and began to tremble.

He did his part perfectly. And he liked his part much more than Thomas's part. Thomas had to get hurt; he had to get knocked unconscious. Now Mike would prefer pretending to need help on any day then getting knocked out.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: RAW! I hope I scared you.

---

Passepartout was not sure what was happening.

When the man had sprung out of the door, Passepartout was sure that he was going to attack, but instead he became a basket case.

Passepartout was stupefied; he watched the man slide down to the floor. And Passepartout finally put his hand on the man's shoulder, trying to bring a little comfort.

For some reason his gut told him he should be wary of the man, and Passepartout will listen to his gut, but his brain told him that the man was of no danger, at least for now.

---

Rebecca had dispatched her opponent and she turned to see Passepartout trying to comfort a man that was shaking.

Rebecca sighed. She was not sure what had happened but he seemed to be no threat.

"Passepartout stay here." She commanded and walked into the room of the duke.

---

Phileas was sure that Jules had lost some weight since the last time he had seen him, but that was not that long ago.

How could a week make someone lose so much weight anyways?

Phileas had gotten out of the house and onto his horse with Jules. He was not absolutely sure how he had gotten Jules and himself onto the horse but he had.

Phileas saw the Aurora half a mile away from his horse. He could only assume that Passepartout and Rebecca had made it here all right.

Jules was compliant the whole ride, and if Phileas had not known any better he could have sworn that he was dead, but the small rise of his chest and a moan now and then disproved all those worries.

---

The duke was not in the room.

Rebecca checked the whole room over and found no trace of the duke. She stared to haphazardly check the rest of the house but she found nothing to say that the duke was ever there. Other than Rebecca knowing that he was there. There was no one there besides Passepartout and the two other men.

Rebecca returned to Passepartout and the man who had broken down.

Passepartout was talking in hushed tones with the man and he seemed to be soothed by them.

"Passepartout, we should head back to the Aurora. Phileas is not here and neither is the duke."

"All right Miss Rebecca, but I think Mike should come with us." Passepartout answered.

"Okay. And Phileas is not going to be happy about him."

---

Phileas laid Jules down on the parlor couch. He straightened him out and went into the kitchen to find something to clean him up with.

Phileas picked up a towel and some warm water. He returned to Jules wiped off the sticky mess.

Jules's breathing seemed to have worsened but Phileas was not sure what to do.

Then he heard a noise.

It was coming from the direction of the front hall.

Phileas made his way into the hallway and looked around. There was no one there. But he was sure that he heard something.

Phileas went upstairs wondering if it had come from there.

He quietly walked through his dirigible.

He found nothing upstairs, nothing that would cause him any kind of alarm.

Phileas decided to check up on Verne. He walked out of his bed room and descended the spiral stair case, briefly wondering if he had gone completely insane.

He was about to open the doors to the parlor when he thought he saw movement.

He spun around, all his former fears rushing upon him once again.

He saw nothing.

But now he was sure. He was positive that there was someone else here.

Phileas withdrew his pistol once more. He defensively looked over his surroundings, taking in the quietness that seemed to have consumed the world.

The world stilled as Phileas walked through his foyer. The walls glowed with light thrown by the beams of the dying sun.

Phileas turned, fully expecting someone to knock him off his feet. He walked backwards into the parlor door. He grasped the door knob and turned it. He was sure that there was someone in the hall with him. But he began to have an insatiable desire to make sure that Verne was all right.

He watched the hall way as he backed into the parlor. He faced the door and began to close it but before it could click shut someone forced it open.

Phileas did not expect it.

The force knocked him back. He stumbled but caught himself before he fell.

Phileas spun around and his assailant sent a crushing blow to his jaw. Phileas collapsed to the floor but sprung back at once, his pistol forgotten.

He tackled his opponent to the floor and punched him repeatedly. Phileas noted that he was the duke and that increased the force of his blows.

---

Phileas did not notice that the duke was not paying attention to his assault, instead the duke was busy. His hand reached out trying to get a hold on the pistol that Phileas had dropped.

The duke's hand was almost there, he touched the bottom of the pistol, the metal slightly cold on his fingers.

He reached for it, slowly moving it.

He got it!

The duke grabbed the butt of the pistol and swung it up.

He had mistaken the distance between the floor and Fogg, because instead of shooting Fogg, Connor managed to knock Fogg off of him with the pistol.

---

Phileas was on the floor, but he used that to his advantage as he kicked the duke back and used the same momentum to carry him up.

The duke was on the floor and Phileas took the opportunity to withdraw a sword from the near by wall decoration.

He pointed the tip to the duke's neck just as the duke was preparing for another attack.

The duke stood still, his hands raised in the common surrendering position.

They stood there staring at each other for an eternity. Until a crash distracted Phileas and the duke attempted to pull out the pistol he had holstered underneath his coat.

Attempted being the main word, Phileas slashed the sword through the duke's throat. Blood poured from the gash and the duke fell to the floor, desperately grasping at his the wound in a futile attempt to stop it from bleeding.

The crimson blood flowed freely from the duke and Phileas had an odd moment when he was worried about the carpet.

---

He opened his eyes experimentally and found that the world was spinning. He wondered what he had to do to get it to stop and then shut his eyes.

Jules slowly sat up, keeping his eyes closed against the vertigo, and laid back against the couch.

He felt an urgent desire to get out, to move, to run. His fight or flight instincts kicked in and he tried his best to keep his heart rate under control.

He was going to make a break for it. Jules took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He struggled up from the couch and stumbled to the closest wall. Using it as support he began to make his way out of the familiar room with the greatest haste he could muster.

Jules made it to a door but before he could open it, it swung inward and Jules was forced to press himself against the wall in a vain effort to hide.

The people that came into the room did not notice him anyway, too engrossed with their brawl as they tumbled to the floor.

Jules was not willing to wait around for them to notice him and he quickly made his way out of the parlor.

He looked around the entrance hall, he knew this place and he knew that he should feel safe but he didn't. Everything began to sway again and he staggered to the front door.

He lurched through the threshold, resting heavily on the door frame for a moment before stumbling as quickly as he could off of the air ship and into the clearing.

Jules was not breathing well, he could hardly catch his breath and he knew that was a bad sign.

He leaned heavily against a tree and tried to remember what exactly got him here.

He was following the orders of the duke for the Foggs release, and that was yesterday. His world tipped over and a deep coldness consumed him bringing him into the dark.

---

Rebecca, Passepartout, and Mike walked towards the air ship in silence. Rebecca walked ahead of the two boys because she had a feeling that something was going wrong.

She made her way through the underbrush and hurried her steps.

She came upon the clearing and looks at the Aurora. The front door was open. Rebecca turned looking for Passepartout and Mike but she spots something near a tree.

---

Phileas looked away from the duke and towards the couch where he had left Jules, but he was no longer there.

It took him less than a second to determine that Jules was not in the parlor and Phileas rushed into the foyer to find that the front door was open.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: RAW! I hope I scared you. This is the last chapter, and I might continue if I ever feel the need, but I think it can end here.

---

Passepartout was not sure what was happening.

When the man had sprung out of the door, Passepartout was sure that he was going to attack, but instead he became a basket case.

Passepartout was stupefied; he watched the man slide down to the floor. And Passepartout finally put his hand on the man's shoulder, trying to bring a little comfort.

For some reason his gut told him he should be wary of the man, and Passepartout will listen to his gut, but his brain told him that the man was of no danger, at least for now.

---

Rebecca had dispatched her opponent and she turned to see Passepartout trying to comfort a man that was shaking.

Rebecca sighed. She was not sure what had happened but he seemed to be no threat.

"Passepartout stay here." She commanded and walked into the room of the duke.

---

Phileas was sure that Jules had lost some weight since the last time he had seen him, but that was not that long ago.

How could a week make someone lose so much weight anyways?

Phileas had gotten out of the house and onto his horse with Jules. He was not absolutely sure how he had gotten Jules and himself onto the horse but he had.

Phileas saw the Aurora half a mile away from his horse. He could only assume that Passepartout and Rebecca had made it here all right.

Jules was compliant the whole ride, and if Phileas had not known any better he could have sworn that he was dead, but the small rise of his chest and a moan now and then disproved all those worries.

---

---

Mike was not sure what to do. He could just leave at this moment and they would never know what had happened. He just hoped the overdose doesn't mess the kid up too much.

But then he really did want to see what would happen if there was an overdose.

But Jules would recognize him, he knew that. They would kill him then, no matter what he would be dead.

Then there was Tom to think about. _O Tom, you lucky bastard, why do you always get the easy job? Getting hurt and what not_

Mike looked up ahead and he saw that Rebecca was kneeling down next to someone.

"Passepartout, I think I should go." Mike said, "My family will be worried about me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, umm…" Mike reaches into his jacket and pulls out the bottle that he had taken out of the cabinet and fed to Jules, "You'll understand this later." he said as he gave Passepartout the bottle.

Mike spun around and started running in the opposite direction.

---

There were dark circles around his eyes and he was pale. Rebecca stared at his emaciated form and put her hand against his forehead.

He was burning up. Rebecca picked up a towel and dabbed the sweat off.

He moaned painfully and Rebecca felt her heart wrench at the sound.

"Sweetie," she murmured and gently touched his cheek.

He leaned into the touch, softly whining when she pulled away.

"Jules, what happened?" She asked not expecting any kind of answer.

His breathing began to become labored and he started to breathe in gasps. His eyes flew under his lids and he let out a soft groan. His body began to tense up.

"Passepartout!" Rebecca shouted.

Passepartout came in immediately closely followed by Phileas.

"What's happening to him?" she asked.

"I do not know Miss Rebecca." Passepartout said distractedly.

Passepartout touched Jules's forehead. Jules suddenly began to seize.

Passepartout's hands flew into action and he held Jules down. Phileas followed suit and began to hold Jules's lower body down.

Jules's body seized and he thrashed on the small cot. Passepartout and Phileas were trying their best to stop him from hurting himself.

---

Mike watched with amusement as the three tried to stop their friend's seizures. It was funny. He really did not expect this to happen.

Mike had doubled back and was currently hiding in the trees to see what was happening. He had no idea why. But he really did not like the boy. He had finally decided that, that was the problem. He didn't like Jules therefore Mike was doing everything to make him suffer.

Although he had not done much as of yet, he will continue his plans to annoy and hurt Jules.

Mike decided to return to the duke's house. He was a bit worried for the duke and he was unsure of what had happened after he had left.

---

Jules was lying unconscious on the bed in the spare room of the Aurora.

Passepartout looked at the bottle that Mike had given him before he had run off.

The poison was a simple one and Passepartout all ready administered the cure for it. But it seems that Jules must have been given more than the normal amount, because Passepartout had never seen anyone react this way to the poison.

All Passepartout could do was wait.

---

Phileas and Rebecca properly disposed of the duke's body. The blood stains would have to be dealt with later.

"What happened?" Rebecca inquired, now that there was nothing left to do.

Phileas seated himself in his favorite chair and picked up his copy of _Times_, "I found him."

"Yes, that is very nice." Rebecca said, "How about you tell me how?"

"I went down into the cellar that the bloody idiots left open and I carried him out." Phileas said only slightly raising his voice.

"Great help you are," Rebecca mumbled, "I am going to see how he is doing."

Phileas muttered something but Rebecca could not catch it.

"Passepartout how is he?" Rebecca asked.

"He should be waking up soon. There might be complications involving the poison he was given, but I cannot tell what they could be."

Rebecca nodded, "What did they give him?"

"Usually, when given this poison, the person has delusions and hallucinations but…" Passepartout was cut off from his explanation as Jules quickly jumped from the bed and was currently in the far corner of the room.

He was breathing quickly and he seemed afraid.

"Jules," Rebecca walked slowly towards him, "Its okay now."

Jules looked ready to bolt but he stayed still, Rebecca took this as a good sign.

"Come here," Rebecca soothed, "Come on," she was at Jules's side now. She reached her out her arm and took Jules by the shoulder and gently guided him back to the bed.

Although he was not in the least calmed by her, at least he was not running.

---

"Jules would you like anything?" Passepartout asked.

Jules shook his head, and suddenly stood up. Before Rebecca or Passepartout could stop him he had ran out of the room.

Jules ran down the spiral staircase and into the parlor.

He found who he was looking for.

"Fogg, what were you thinking?" Jules demanded. Rebecca and Passepartout had entered the parlor but Jules took no notice.

"Should you be in bed?" Phileas answered, completely avoiding the question.

Jules seethed crossing his arms before him in an oddly comical fashion.

"Would you mind, Verne, telling me what you are referring to?" Phileas finally said.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" Jules inquired, "You just had to be the hero, didn't you?"

"And you are upset because…" Phileas prompted, utterly unsure of where this talk was leading to.

"When I told you to leave, why didn't you?" Jules's voice was becoming softer.

Phileas was confused. No he was beyond confused. He was mystified, bewildered, and absolutely lost. Although his voice did not show it, "Verne, explain to me what you are talking about, and please do this in laymen's terms."

Jules shot him a puzzled look but explained slowly, "Today, where the duke told me to go to bargain for your lives, we were all there. Remember?"

"Yes, I recall that." Phileas said just as slowly.

"Why didn't you just leave me there?"

Phileas held up his hand, stopping Jules from continuing. Phileas rubbed his eyes and looked back at Jules. "What are you talking about, man? We did leave you. We had no choice. And I am sorry, but why don't you remember?"


End file.
